Shirley Corriher writes that using frozen white chocolate means that you get little pale pockets in the dark creamy souffle. She recommends using individual souffle dishes, as this eliminates problems with uneven rising.

3/4 cup sugar, divided

1 tablespoon water

3 tablespoons Kahlua

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

2 teaspoons instant coffee

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

Pinch of salt

3/4 cup milk

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

2 large eggs

5 large egg yolks

6 large egg whites, room temperature

6 ounces white chocolate, chopped and frozen (1 cup if using chips)

Butter 8 souffle dishes and divide 2 tablespoons of sugar among the dishes. Rotate dishes to coat completely and pour off any remaining sugar.

Heat together the water, Kahlua, chocolate chips and coffee in a small saucepan over very low heat, stirring constantly, until the chocolate just melts. Set aside.

Blend together the flour, 1/4 cup of the sugar, and a pinch of salt together in a medium saucepan. Slowly whisk in the milk until smooth. Stir over medium heat about 2 minutes to cook the flour, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Remove from heat and add the vanilla extract and melted chocolate mixture.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and set the oven rack at the upper middle level. Stir together the whole eggs and yolks in a medium bowl. Spoon several tablespoons of the hot chocolate mixture into the egg mixture to warm it. Then fold all the egg mixture back into the warm chocolate mixture.

Beat the egg whites in a large bowl until soft peaks form. Add 1/4 cup of the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating about 15 seconds after each addition. Beat until soft peaks form which do not fall over when you lift the beater. Stir a quarter of the egg whites into the warm chocolate mixture to lighten it, then gently fold in the remaining egg whites.

Fill each souffle dish halfway, then divide the chunks of frozen white chocolate among the dishes, and add the rest of the mixture to fill the dishes.